The vet didn't seem super thrilled with me because they "like to see an animal before putting him on antibiotics," but I did persuade him to prescribe some for Jeeves also in light of the fact that they've seen Jeeves recently, they're treating Baxter, and they live together. Oy.

He seemed baffled when I told him they live on fleece. Ha! I'm sure the other vets who work more with guinea pigs are familiar with it but I felt weird having to explain it, because it probably sounds gross to people who don't get how it works/haven't seen it in action.

The only VET I have ever known to be familiar with *C&C cages* is one that was already using them for her tortoise.

!!!!!!!

I usually end up giving them the Cavy Cages website and hoping for the best. Part of the battle we face is how conservative, and resistant to positive change, many vets are. In some ways that's safe and good. In some ways, not so much.

So Baxter is producing some short poop. Not pinched off, just...shorter pieces that otherwise look totally normal. Otherwise both pigs are going steady, maintaining their weight, not getting worse, etc. They already get some probiotic sprinkled on their pellets. Should I be concerned?

Well, both pigs aren't making any weird noises that I have noticed. Baxter only has a couple days left of his two week course but Jeeves will have more after Baxter finishes. I'm very hopeful that we're in the clear.

Baxter has been relatively uninterested in food for about 24 hours now. I just found him having what seemed like some kind of weird seizure. He was standing, and it was like he was lurching forward, as if he would be gagging or throwing up. That kind of motion. But he wasn't doing anything with his mouth at all, just the bodily movement. I rushed over and pet him and he was aware of my presence. After petting him some he laid down. He's alert and did not let me pick him up easily. I gave them their dinner just a few minutes ago but he hasn't eaten any yet and he hasn't eaten anything in the half hour I've been sitting here so it doesn't seem like choking. Any ideas? It was really scary to watch and I was honestly afraid he was dying right in front of me.

We've had several do a "heaving-kakking" thing (sometimes two or three times in a row) that will scare the 400 Lord holy Moses daylights out of you. But then they're fine, and look at you like "what's the problem"?

I'd be more concerned about his lack of interest in food. Wondering if he has something caught in his throat (sounds stupid, I know) that's preventing him eating? Perhaps he was trying to 'heave-kakk' something up, given that they don't have a gag reflex and cannot vomit?

He can eat, because he'll do it here and there. If I put a pile of hay in front of him, he'll come out and munch on it. He looks at me like I'm crazy if I give him lettuce sometimes, but if I put it in front of his face half an hour later he'll halfheartedly have some. He was also happy to take 7 ccs of Pedialyte from a syringe before he got sick of it. He's definitely able to eat all of his various types of food, he's just not enthusiastic about it like he normally is so that is a huge concern.

He hasn't lost much in the way of weight - only about 15 grams in a week, so it could easily be a normal fluctuation.

It's the "not enthusiastic like he normally is" that worries me. Good that he's only lost 15 g in a week or so ... that is normal fluctuation and at least he isn't dropping like a stone (at least not yet).

Yay! Maybe he was off because Jeeves is not feeling well? I just had a gerbil die and three days later his buddy died. They were so bonded that they even drank form the water bottle at the same time. he just lost the will to live. I think sometimes our little critters worry about thier freinds.